On page SEO refers to optimisation techniques implemented directly on a web page to improve its rankings in search engines. Unlike off-page SEO which focuses on building external signals like backlinks, on-page SEO focuses on optimising elements within the control of the webmaster.
With search engine algorithms constantly evolving, on-page SEO remains a crucial ranking factor in 2024. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the latest on-page SEO best practices to boost your website’s visibility and traffic.
Power of On-Page SEO in 2024
Importance of On-Page SEO
On-page SEO creates the foundation for a successful SEO strategy by directly influencing how search engines crawl, index, and rank web pages. Proper on-page optimisation demonstrates relevance and authority to search engines like Google, leading to higher rankings for target keywords.
key benefits of on-page SEO include:
- Increased organic traffic from search engines
- Better user experience and engagement
- Higher click-through rates from SERPs
- Greater conversion rates from ranking for transactional keywords
- Outranking competitor websites targeting similar keywords
In particular, on-page SEO helps:
- Identify a webpage’s topic and keywords to search engines
- Demonstrate expertise and authority on a topic
- Provide a positive user experience aligned with Google search intent
- Meet ranking factors related to page content and technical SEO
With 93% of online experiences beginning on search engines, websites cannot ignore on-page optimisation. The subsequent sections will explore the specific techniques and best practices.
Want to learn the SEO Content Length TL:DR (too long; didn't read) rule to improve On-Page SEO.
On-Page SEO Techniques and Optimisation
On-page SEO comprises both content-related and technical factors within a webpage’s HTML code. When optimised effectively, these elements clearly signal relevance and authority to search engine crawlers.
The key on-page SEO techniques include:
Crafting Keyword-Rich Title Tags
The title tag is displayed in the search engine results pages (SERPs) and is the first signal to search engines regarding a page’s topic. Title tags should:
- Contain the target keyword near the start of the title
- Be crafted to entice clicks from searchers
- Be less than 60 characters including spaces
For example:
Title is "Beginner's Guide to On-Page SEO in 2024"
Writing Meta Descriptions for Click-Throughs
The meta description summarises the page content and is shown under the title tag in SERPs. Effective meta descriptions:
- Contain the keyword and complementary phrases
- Create curiosity with compelling writing
- Are under 150 characters including spaces
For example:
Meta description is "Want to Rank Higher and Drive More Traffic in 2024! Check our On-Page SEO Guide and take control of your ranking with the right strategies"
Using Strategic Headers Tags (H1, H2, H3)
Header tags create a content hierarchy, improve readability and highlight keywords to search engines. Best practices include:
- Having one H1 tag with the target keyword
- Breaking up content with relevant H2 and H3 tags
- Avoiding keyword stuffing in headers
For example:
Header tag 1 is "Power of On-Page SEO in 2024"
Header tag 2 is "Importance of On-Page SEO"
Optimising URL Structure
URLs should be:
- Short, simple and contain the target keyword
- User and search engine friendly
- Separated by hyphens not underscores
For example:
https://utds.al/redesign-website/
Enhancing Page Content
Your content must be:
- Laser-focused on the topic and target keywords
- Useful, relevant and engaging for readers
- Optimised with keyword density around 1-2%
Also include:
- Related keywords and LSI (latent semantic indexing) words
- Outbound links to authority sources
- Effective internal links between relevant pages
- Engaging images with descriptive alt text
Implementing Technical SEO Factors
Technical SEO improves site crawlability, indexation and performance. Elements to optimise include:
- Page speed: Minify code, compress images, defer non-critical CSS/JS
- Mobile friendliness: Responsive design, accelerometer tags, Apple touch icons
- Security: Enable HTTPS across the site
- Structured data markup: Use schema markup pages
Thoroughly optimising these on-page factors indicates relevance and authority to search engines, leading to higher rankings.
On-Page SEO vs. Off-Page SEO
On-page and off-page SEO complement each other in boosting rankings. Their key differences are:
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On-Page SEO
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Off-Page SEO
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|---|---|
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Focuses on optimising individual web pages
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Focuses on optimising individual web pages
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Directly controlled by the webmaster
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Depends on other websites linking back
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Improves user experience, engagement and satisfaction
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Improves authority and popularity metrics like domain authority and referral traffic
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Includes content, keywords, site architecture, technical performance and markup
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Includes link building, social media, online brand mentions and other external ranking signals
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On-site factors like title tags, content, URL structure, internal linking and page speed
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Off-site factors like backlinks, social media shares and local listings
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While on-page SEO sets the foundation, off-page SEO and backlinks act as votes of confidence to boost rankings further. Using them together improves overall search visibility.
Creating Unique, Helpful Content
The uniqueness and usefulness of your content impacts SEO and user experience. Avoid duplicate or thin content by:
- Publishing original, in-depth articles, and analysis
- Conducting keyword research to create content around search intent
- Including personal experiences and expert opinions
- Adding visuals like infographics, stats and images
- Updating obsolete or outdated content regularly
Search engines recommend providing the most relevant and helpful content for each keyword and intent. For informational queries, thorough and well-researched guides perform best. For commercial intent, focus on product features, value propositions and calls-to-action.
Placing Target Keywords Strategically
Optimising content with target keywords demonstrates relevance to search engines. Best practices include:
- Including the keyword in the URL, page title, H1 and content introduction
- Maintaining a keyword density of 1-2%
- Placing keywords in headers, image alt text and bolded text
- Using related LSI keywords for semantic richness
- Avoiding over-optimisation and keyword stuffing
Track keyword placement and density with tools like Yoast SEO and Google Search Console.
Step-by-Step On-Page SEO Guide
How-to write Keyword-Rich Title Tags
Compelling title tags prompt searchers to click and visit your page. Optimise them with:
- Primary and secondary keywords – place the primary keyword at first or in between key terms
- Power words like “tips“, “techniques“, “guide” etc.
- Brand name and page type descriptors like ” category pages“
- Numbers and dates like “2024” or “Top 10“
- Emotional words like “best“, “proven” or “helpful“
Note : Check titles of ranking pages for inspiration and keep titles under 60 characters.
For example:
Title is "5 Proven Tips to Ace On-Page SEO in 2024
How-to Craft Click-Worthy Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions summarise page content and are vital for click-through rates. Best practices include:
- Incorporating primary and secondary keywords
- Establishing credibility by mentioning awards, certifications and achievements
- Using powerful words like “experts“, “easy way“, “step-by-step” etc.
- Posing questions and curiosity gaps like “Want to learn…?“
- Adding calls-to-action like “Start now“, “Read more” etc.
- Keep the descriptions under 150 characters
For example:
meta description is "Our award-winning SEO experts reveal their proven 8-steps SEO Guide”
How-to Create Headings and Subheadings
Headings and subheadings make content more scannable for users and optimise content for search engines. Best practices include:
- One H1 tag with the primary keyword per page (best practice, use the title)
- Relevant subheadings using H2 and H3 tags (use primary keywords)
- Breaking up long sections of copy with descriptive headers (best practise not to use more than 3 lines per paragraph)
- Including secondary keywords in headings where relevant
Note: There is a limit to use number of header tags with primary keywords, so sprinkle them rather than stuffing the keywords. (best practice, 2 in h2 and 2 in h3, after that use secondary keyword ). Ensure headings logically structure content and improve readability.
For example:
Header Tag 1 "Power of On-Page SEO In 2024""
Header Tag 2 "Importance of On-Page SEO"
Header Tag 3 "On-Page SEO Techniques and Optimisation"
How-to Optimise URLs for Search and Users
URL structure impacts SEO and user experience. Ideal URLs are:
- Short, simple and contain the primary keyword
- Separated by hyphens with words that describe the page
- static and do not change – avoid dynamic URLs
- Free of special characters, underscores or capital letters
Note: Use 301 redirects for changed URLs to transfer link equity and avoid 404 errors. Also reindex the changed urls
For example:
https://utds.al/pump-sales-with-website-design/
How-to Add Internal Links Between Relevant Pages
Internal links distribute equity within a website and help search bots navigate it. Best practices are:
- Linking to related content contextually within copy
- Using anchor text with relevant secondary keywords
- Linking to high-authority pages from new content
- Avoiding excessive use of keywords in anchor text
- Building a logical internal linking structure
Note: Never use the primary keyword as “anchor text” for internal linking or external linking. (best practice, use 10 internal links if the content is 1000 words) Adjust the number of links you want to use in the content, based on the SEO Content Length as there is Google Spam Policy for link stuffing. Link internally wherever relevant to enhance discoverability.
How-to Link to Reputable External Sources
Outbound links to quality external sites improve trust and authority metrics. Ensure your external links:
- Are selective and lead to reputable domains
- Use varied anchor text with keywords where possible
- Get placed within relevant content contextually
- Point to high-quality resources related to the topic
Note: If you’re targeting audience from specific country or city, use the websites that’s relevant to the audience/country/city. Make sure the websites you link with are “relevant“. Avoid stuffing external links, use similar best practice as mentioned for the internal links. Linking with “irrelevant” website isn’t going to benefit you. Linking to authoritative .edu, .org and .gov sites is ideal.
How- to Include and Optimising Images
Relevant images enhance engagement and SEO Best practices:
- Giving images clear file names containing primary keyword (best practice, use the title for the main banner and use header tags with primary keyword for secondary images)
- Writing detailed alt text with primary and LSI keywords (make sure the alt text and file names are same)
- Compressing images without losing quality (best practice, use PNG)
- Adding schema.org markup for better indexing
Note: Rather than normal images, create infographics and charts for better engagement.
How-to Optimise for Performance and Page Speed
Faster page speeds improve user experience, bounce rates and SEO. Core Web Vitals metrics like LCP, FID and CLS directly impact Google rankings. Tactics to optimise speed include:
- Minimising HTTP requests through effective caching and combining of CSS/JavaScript files
- Compressing images and enabling browser caching
- Removing render-blocking JavaScript
- Optimising server response times
- Serving resources from a CDN and enabling GZip compression
Note: Measure speed with PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse Audits. Get page load times under 2 seconds on mobile for optimal performance.
How-to use Long Tail Keywords
Focus on informing and solving searchers’ needs with long tail keywords in your content optimisation strategy.
Here are some common examples of long tail keywords:
- “on page seo techniques for small business websites”
- “advanced guide to on page seo optimisation in 2024”
- “how to improve page speed with on page seo best practices”
- “guide to local on page seo for multiple locations”
- “tips for optimising on page seo using wordpress in 2024”
Advanced On-Page SEO Tactics
Beyond the basics, more advanced optimisation tactics include:
- Featured snippet optimization: Craft content to target featured snippets, which appear at the top of search results.
- Structured data markup: Use schema.org markup to add more context and improve indexing. Popular types are breadcrumb markup, review snippets, events, etc.
- Optimise for voice search: Voice search results favour long-form content with natural language and conversational wording.
- Local SEO tactics: Use locally optimised page titles and content targeting nearby customers.
Key Takeaway
Follow this checklist to implement effective on-page optimization:
- Pick a focus keyword – Conduct competitive keyword research to select relevant target keywords.
- Optimise title tag and meta description – Include keywords naturally and make them compelling.
- Add schema markup – Use schema.org tags for rich snippets.
- Use strategic headers – Work keyword into H1 along with H2s and H3s.
- Optimise content – Include keywords at a density of 1-2% along with LSI terms.
- Enhance readability- Break up long paragraphs (best practices not to use more than 3 lines in a paragraph), add images.
- Simplify URLs – Make them short, keyword-focused and static.
- Internal linking – Link to related content contextually.
- External links – Reference quality external sources.
- Alt text and file names – Use target keywords where applicable.
- Technical optimisation – Improve site speed, security, mobile layout.
Measuring with Google Analytics and Search Console provides insight into how these factors impact performance. Consistently optimising the on-page elements improves organic search visibility over time.
Looking for an On-Page SEO Expert?
At UTDS Optimal Choice, our mission is to help businesses like yours increase visibility and growth online. As a full-service digital marketing agency, we offer customised solutions to fit your unique needs – whether you need a new website designed to capture leads, search engine optimization to increase website traffic, or Google Ads management to boost conversions through pay per click.
Our team of experts specialises in crafting high-converting websites optimised for lead generation, elevating your search rankings with proven SEO strategies, running and optimising Google Ads campaigns, and reporting on KPIs to maximise your ROI. We stay on top of the latest trends and technologies to get real results for our clients.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can execute an integrated digital marketing strategy to capture your ideal customers online and take your business to the next level of success!
FAQs About On-Page SEO
Optimising content with keywords users are searching for is likely the single most important on-page factor. Ensure you research target keywords and naturally include them throughout your content.
Ideally keywords should appear within 1-2% of your content. Avoid over-optimization as it will trigger search engines’ spam filters.
Enable caching and compression, minify CSS/JS files, optimise images, remove render-blocking resources, and leverage browser caching. Consider a content delivery network (CDN) for faster load times.
No, also utilise H2, H3 tags to break up content. Use one H1 containing your target keyword, along with supporting headings using other tags.
Meta descriptions can be up to 130 – 150 characters including spaces. Keywords and power words are more important than length.
